In a typical computing device, a processor and other components can generate significant amount of heat. It is important to remove the heat from the processor in order to protect the processor and other components in the device. In order to expel the heat, it is typically transported through heat pipes into a fin pack. The heat is then conducted through the fins of the fin pack. A blower, or fan, blows air through the fin pack, and the air collects heat from the fins. The heated air leaves the fin pack and is expelled from the computing device through an exhaust vent.
As computing devices have become thinner and more compact, the fin packs have had to become smaller as well. Typical fin packs may have very narrow fins (for example only a few tenths of a mm wide). The greater the surface area of the fins, the greater the amount of heat that can be expelled by blowing air through the fins. In order to maximize the amount of surface area, typical fins span the height of the opening between a bottom end of the fin pack to the top end of the fin pack adjacent to the heat pipe. The fins may also be tightly spaced (for example only 1 mm apart).
This tight packing of the fins can cause debris to collect along the fins, such as fibers dust or other particles. The debris may increase the noise of the fan blowing through the fin pack, decrease the amount of air flowing through the fins, and decrease the amount of expelled heat. By reducing the efficiency of the fin pack, the operating temperature of the processor may also increase. In order to protect the processor, the computing device and users, the computing device may increase the fan speed to expel the heat, creating more noise, and/or slow down the speed of the processor. These may be an annoyance to users of these devices, and may also degrade the device's performance.